The relegation of Deportivo La Coruna is making waves in Spain. Less for the descent of the Galician club in itself than for the scenario of it. This Monday evening, the 42nd day of Spanish D2 was played and La Coruña had to face Fuenlabrada. But the match was postponed to July 30 by joint decision of the Professional League (La Liga), the Spanish federation (RFEF) and the health authorities, after the discovery of at least eight positive cases for the coronavirus within the club of the suburb of Madrid (including six players).
Many clubs playing the rise in La Liga or their maintenance in D2 feel aggrieved by this postponement which according to them “distorted the competition”. The first club to complain, of course, is Deportivo La Coruna. Without playing, the Galician club were relegated to the 3rd division after the results of the other matches of the last day. Other clubs outraged by this postponement Elche and Rayo Vallecano, in the fight for promotion in La Liga.
"The competition has been totally and absolutely distorted"
"We will go to the highest authorities, because what happened today [Monday] is lamentable," fulminated the president of Deportivo, Fernando Vidal, in front of the press. "It is the last straw, that the principle of equality for all is not respected," he added, saying he did not understand why the entire last day was not postponed.
“The competition was totally and absolutely skewed. We were very surprised when we were told that the rest of the games were going to be played. A very serious mistake has been made. The last two days must be played at the same time [in multiplex, in order to avoid an asymmetry of information between the teams and to maintain the uncertainty of the results until the end], it is the rule. The last day must be replayed, there is no other solution ”, demanded the Galician leader.
Are the accession play-offs postponed?
Depor's meeting with Fuenlabrada was high stakes since the club from the suburbs of Madrid can still qualify for the play-offs of accession to the first division if it at least draws, which could eject Elche from the qualifying places (3rd - 6th places).
“Elche is the only club penalized. What must we do ? Do we continue to train, or do I give the players two days of vacation? ", Squeaked" Pacheta ", the coach of Elche. “We're going to explode. We have been playing for two and a half months without a day off, ”added the technician, currently qualified for the play-offs but threatened by Fuenlabrada. A dissatisfaction shared by Rayo Vallecano, ejected from the top 6 qualifying this Monday.
According to the Spanish press, after the postponement of La Coruna-Fuenlabrada to July 30, the semi-finals of the accession play-offs should be postponed to August 2 and 5, and the final in two-way matches on August 8 and 11 , to decide who will accompany Huesca and Cadiz in La Liga next season.
"A rain of complaints", announces the president of Depor
"We will appeal to the CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] for procedural flaw and to the Spanish federation (RFEF) to contest this day," warned Fernando Vidal. “There will be a rain of complaints from other clubs who also felt aggrieved by this botched decision,” he added.
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And if they stretch in length, these remedies could postpone the play-offs for accession to La Liga… whose new season is due to begin in September! In short, while La Liga had so far succeeded in the challenge of organizing a safe end of the championship, with in particular the coronation of Real Madrid in La Liga, this controversy during the last day of D2 is stain. Especially since this scandal comes as Spain, one of the countries in Europe most affected by the pandemic, is facing the awakening of several outbreaks of infections, in particular in Lleida (Catalonia) and Ordizia (Basque Country).
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